In this short piece, originally posted on Facebook, Eli Brown-Stevenson explains his personal vow, "Don't comment." "Don't comment" is a vow that I made with my teacher that has been the most beneficial way to address my social media usage. I used to get into endless comment wars with others. Behind screens, I was more likely to use unskillful communication methods and [...]
Seeing Beyond the Screen
Yael Shy invites millennials to bring some mindfulness into their digital lives. If you are a millennial (between the ages of eighteen and thirty-six) you probably spend an average of eighteen hours a day consuming media, with approximately five hours of that time engaged in social media and peer-created content. Those hours are consumed across a variety of platforms and [...]
Is a More-Enlightened Social Media Possible?
Dan Zigmond, a Zen priest and the director of analytics for Facebook's News Feed, argues that social media can promote thoughtful and compassionate discussion. As the director of analytics for Facebook’s News Feed, Dan Zigmond works on the algorithms that decide what more than a billion people read each day. That’s a big responsibility. After the U.S. election, commentators [...]
Buddhists bring meditation to the streets and subways of NYC
A new organization called Buddhist Insights is helping New Yorkers meditate in all manner of surprising places — and to make friends with their surroundings. And they're garnering attention, too. New Yorkers may not think of the city's gritty streets as a place to find inner peace, but a new group called Buddhist Insights is aiming to change that. “There’s this idea [...]
On social media, Buddhists teachers, communities reckon with Trump’s election, aftermath
A roundup of thoughtful responses gleaned from Facebook, Twitter, and elsewhere. See also: "Buddhist teachers respond to Trump's presidential win," for which several teachers provided statements upon Lion's Roar's request, and our roundup of helpful "After the Election" coverage and teachings. Brooklyn Zen Center [On November 18th, the leadership of Brooklyn Zen Center issued [...]
This Twitter bot tweets nothing every three hours
There are a lot of bots on Twitter that regularly tweet inspirational quotes or automated nonsense, but one new account is breaking through the noise. @john_cage_bot posts a random section from John Cage's classic piece, 4'33", every three hours. Here's one profound example: When pianist David Tudor first performed it in 1952, Cage's work, informally known as [...]
The year in Buddhist tweets
2015 was a big year for @LionsRoar. These top ten tweets are an illustrative cross-section of the goings-on at Lion's Roar. Watch next year's top ten arrive in real time by following us on Twitter, @LionsRoar and @BuddhadharmaMag. #10 From a Q&A with our friend, @SensesFail vocalist Buddy Nielsen. https://twitter.com/ShambhalaSun/status/596759529238503425 #9 This PSA [...]
Mark Zuckerberg says “Buddhism is an amazing religion”
Early this morning, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg posted a photo of himself praying at Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, China. Zuckerberg is visiting Asia to promote Facebook — though the network is blocked in China. Zuckerberg's wife, Priscilla Chan, is Buddhist. In his post, Zuckerberg wrote that he offered a prayer for his wife at the pagoda, and said that he's interested in [...]
George Takei on ‘Being Gay, Being Buddhist’
The actor, author, and undisputed King of Social Media reflects on his fascinating personal history: his childhood and his family’s internment during World War II, his life as a gay man and activist, how far we’ve all come, and why we must press on together. I was born to a Buddhist family -- my father was Zen and my mother was Shin, and both were rather casual about it. [...]
Facebook using Buddhist tools to fight hate speech in Burma
As Burma is emerging from fifty years of military dictatorship, its citizens are thronging to social media, particularly Facebook, and anti-Muslim extremists are too. Facebook is addressing the problem of Buddhist anti-Muslim activists promoting violence on Facebook with a new set of features. When Facebook users flag content they “don’t like,” a box pops up asking "Why [...]
